1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for managing electronic messages and for delivering solicited electronic messages. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for delivering solicited electronic messages while filtering unsolicited electronic messages.
2. The Relevant Technology
Electronic messages such as email and instant messages have become, for a growing number of people and businesses, a convenient method of communication. Unfortunately, the ease with which electronic messages may be generated and sent has led to the development of unsolicited bulk electronic messages, better known as “spam.” Unsolicited electronic messages come from a large spectrum of different sources and often include commercial advertisements, political messaging, and other undesirable content including pornographic solicitations.
To many users, it seems that the number of unsolicited messages that they receive increases daily. Receiving unsolicited electronic messages is frustrating for many users because they are required to sort through all of the electronic messages that have been received. If they do not sort through their inbox, the number of unsolicited electronic messages may soon outnumber the desired electronic messages and make it difficult for a user to find certain electronic messages. Users are understandably frustrated with unsolicited electronic messages and often spend quality time sorting through unsolicited electronic messages that they have received on a daily basis. This is true even if the users are simply deleting the unsolicited electronic messages that have been received. With good reason, users have become wary of giving out their electronic addresses for fear that their electronic addresses will wind up in the hands of those who send unsolicited electronic messages.
For these reasons, users need a way to successfully prevent unwanted or unsolicited electronic messages from being delivered. Some attempts have been made to allow users to filter out unwanted and/or unsolicited electronic messages. One method includes allowing a user to “block” a sender's address such that electronic messages from that particular address are not delivered to the user. Other techniques for filtering unsolicited electronic messages involve adding certain words or phrases to filters that are integrated into electronic messaging programs. For example, a user can add certain words to the filters and electronic messages that contain those words are deemed unwanted and are not delivered to the user or are deleted.
One of the primary drawbacks to these solutions is the potential for eliminating or deleting electronic messages that should have been delivered to the user. For example, some online merchants generate bulk electronic messages that are delivered to a large number of users. Many of these users think of these electronic messages as unsolicited and would prefer to have them filtered out and automatically deleted. The methods described above are often suitable for this purpose.
However, there are some users who have subscribed to the electronic mailings of the same online merchants and these users desire to receive the electronic messages that other users view as unsolicited. In other words, current methods of filtering electronic messages cannot determine that a particular electronic message is viewed as an unsolicited electronic message from the perspective of one user while another user views the same electronic message as a solicited electronic message. The problem of delivering solicited electronic messages that look like unsolicited electronic messages becomes even more complex as additional senders of electronic message obtain and use the address of the user. Generally stated, the methods used to prevent electronic messages sent by “spammers” from being delivered often have the undesirable effect of preventing solicited electronic messages from being successfully delivered.